This story was originally published in Architectural Lighting.

Linear 4000K uplights provide lighting in the open office area and also celebrates the angled high ceilings in the space viewed from inside and outside.
Jason O'Rear/Gensler Linear 4000K uplights provide lighting in the open office area and also celebrates the angled high ceilings in the space viewed from inside and outside.

The building design for the Nvidia Campus in Santa Clara, Calif., is based on a polygon. While it allowed for an efficient and open layout for the 500,000 square foot floor plan, it provided a series of challenges for the lighting design. One in particular was the combination of the high ceiling heights, their triangular forms, and the steep pitch, which varies from 12 feet to 36 feet (AFF). The lighting team at HLB Lighting Design met the challenge by employing an uplight strategy with an indirect luminaire suspended from the structural beams. This provided a consistent layer of ambient light and helped mitigate the brightness and high contrast ratios from the abundance of natural light entering the space via 245 skylights. Further, to balance the abundance of daylight in the space, 4000K LED sources were used throughout.

The uplights suspended from the structural beams throughout the project also help to mitigate high contrast ratios, making the space visually comfortable and glare free.
Jason O'Rear/Gensler The uplights suspended from the structural beams throughout the project also help to mitigate high contrast ratios, making the space visually comfortable and glare free.
The project exceeds 2010 California T24 requirements by 15% and uses daylight responsive controls to further reduce lighting energy use.
Jason O'Rear/Gensler The project exceeds 2010 California T24 requirements by 15% and uses daylight responsive controls to further reduce lighting energy use.

In order to assess the unique building geometries and develop a lighting strategy that met the client’s needs and exceeded California Title 24 requirements, the project team used a virtual reality modelling software during the design process. Lighting information, which included accurate photometrics, was a critical addition in developing real-time photorealistic information so that the client and team could make important design decisions, quickly.

Suspended track and concealed cove lighting highlight the unique forms in the multi-function lounge and accent the bar. Decorative pendants anchor communal tables.
Connie Zhou Suspended track and concealed cove lighting highlight the unique forms in the multi-function lounge and accent the bar. Decorative pendants anchor communal tables.
Recessed lensed lines of light reinforce the triangular concept of the building in addition to provide the required light at the atrium.
Jason O'Rear/Gensler Recessed lensed lines of light reinforce the triangular concept of the building in addition to provide the required light at the atrium.

Jury Comments:
There is an artful treatment of both the electric lighting and the daylighting. • The lighting design helps give the project a sense of scale.

DETAILS
Project: Nvidia Campus, Santa Clara, Calif.
Client: Devcon Construction
Architect: Gensler, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London offices
Lighting Designer: HLB Lighting Design, San Francisco office
Team Members: Hayden McKay, Alessia Pope, John Keyes, Angela McDonald, Vasudha Rathi, Brian Franco
Photographers: Jason O'Rear/Gensler and Connie Zhou
Project Size: 525,000 square feet
Project Cost: $370 million
Lighting Costs: $344,378
Watts per Square Foot: 0.83
Code Compliance: Exceeds California Title24 (LEED Gold Certified)
Manufacturers: Acuity Brands Lighting/Gotham and Lithonia brands, Amerlux, Axis, Bec Brittain, Bega, B-K Lighting, CL Sterling & Sons, Eaton/io LED, EcoSense, ETC, Finelite, Flos/Lukas, Focal Point, H.E. Williams, HK USA Lighting Group, Juno Lighting, Lambert & Fils, LED Linear, Lighting Services Inc, Lucifer Lighting, Luminii, MaxLite, Park Studio, Tech Lighting, Times Square Lighting, The Lighting Quotient/Elliptipar, Vibia, We-ef, Zumtobel

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